Harry's Secret
by imagination-running
Summary: Harry is upset about Sirius, but everyone at HQ knows that there is something else if only they knew what... Complete
1. Chapter 1

**Harry's Secret**

**Chapter 1: She Heard Him Again...**

**By: stu14688**

She heard him again. He was whimpering in his sleep. He did that often, but who could blame him. It was just about a month ago that he had seen his godfather fall through that veil never to return. Then Voldemort had possessed him. _No_, Hermione thought, _I can't blame him for having nightmares; I just wish that he would talk to someone. _She and Ron had talked some the day before as Harry had napped – peacefully for once. He heard Harry too. Of course, he did share a room with Harry. Ron was worried about him. He did not eat well, he did not sleep well, and something was bothering him other than Sirius' death. Everyone at headquarters knew about Harry's distracted sense of being this summer, and they had all tried talking to him.

Unlike last summer, though, Harry did not get mad, he just quietly said that he would talk when he was ready. It seemed that only Dumbledore knew what was bothering the Boy Who Lived, but he refused to tell anyone. Hermione glanced at her watch. It was four in the morning, and thankfully, Harry had quieted for the rest of the night. He had gotten to where he was like clockwork. He would go to bed at about ten o'clock. He would sleep fine until about two, and then by three-thirty he would be calm again. Hermione had awoken every night at about two-fifteen and listened until Harry was quiet again, then she would go back to sleep for a while. A week ago, she found out that Ron did the same thing. Harry had been napping when they talked then too.

Harry always tried to seem happy in front of everyone, but he could not mask his grief in his sleep. Ron and Hermionie had told everyone last week of Harry's dreaming habits, and by now everyone had came and listened either outside the boy's door, or inside Hermione and Ginny's room. Molly was distraught over Harry's sleeping habits. She had planned something special for Harry's sixteenth birthday party. That was today. Harry did not know about the party. Everyone was going to be there – _except Snape and the ones that matter the most_ thought Hermionie. Those would be Sirius and, of course, James and Lily. She did not know how they were going to keep Harry from figuring out the party plans. For the past two weeks, he had been at Number 12, and he seemed to be quite good at discovering things that were supposed to be secret. Hermione decided that she and Ron would just have to do the best that they could. With that thought, Hermione went back to sleep.

Hermione woke up about six o'clock later that morning and quietly went into the kitchen. The boys would be awake about nine, and she wanted to think about how to distract Harry until three this afternoon. It would not be easy.

Hermione was startled when Mrs. Weasley walked into the room. "Oh, sorry dear. I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't think that anyone would be awake yet," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Don't worry about it. I was just trying to think of ways of keeping Harry out of here until this afternoon. You do realize that you gave Ron and me the hardest job of all?" Hermione laughed when she said the last sentence. It felt good to laugh. It seemed like it had been years since she had last done it, when in reality it had only been about a month. She had given a small chuckle now and then, but never a laugh

Mrs. Weasley grinned and nodded as she spoke. "I was thinking that if you two could just keep him out of the kitchen after breakfast, then we just might get away with it. I could bring you all some dinner about noon. As far as keeping him busy, well I think anything will work. He's been willing to do any kind of bidding since he came here."

Molly figured that Harry had been forced to work everyday while he was at the Dursleys. That was probably why he did not complain when asked to do something, but Molly was apprehensive to let him do anything. He had to beg her to give him a job the second day that he had been at headquarters, and had not hesitated to do anything since then. She knew that Harry was not only trying to keep Sirius off his mind, but was also doing what came natural to him from years of forced labor with his aunt and uncle. The thought of those heartless, cruel people made Molly seethe with anger. It was all she could do to not march up to Number four Pivit Drive and hex the lot of them.

About that time, Lupin walked in the room. His appearance effectively ended Molly's mounting anger, and both ladies turned around to greet him. He still looked haggard from the full moon two nights ago, but he also seemed to have something else different about him. "I couldn't help but hear part of the conversation you were having. I think that I can help. Today's Harry's sixteenth birthday, and I'd like to take him somewhere before the party."

Molly looked like she was about to object when Lupin continued. "I've already cleared this with Albus. He agrees with me. I … oh, this may be stupid so soon after Sirius' death, but we planned this months back – Sirius and I… I was planning to take Harry to the cemetery where James and Lily are buried. He has never been there. I also want to talk to him. He has to open up sometime."

He stopped talking, but both Hermione and Molly knew that he was still thinking. Therefore, the two of them gathered by the counter and silently worked on breakfast. After a couple of minutes Hermione turned to her former professor and asked, "What if Ron and I go with you? Do you think it might help at getting Harry to talk about what's on his mind?"

Lupin shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "Well, you think about it. I'm going to wake everyone up for breakfast," Hermione said as she left the kitchen.

As she reached the second floor, someone let out loud moan. She knew it was Harry. When she opened the door, Ron was trying to wake Harry, who was thrashing about on the bed covered in sweat and tears running down his face. Ron turned to Hermione, "Go get someone. He won't wake up." Without saying a word, Hermione bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Somebody come quick. Harry's having a nightmare and won't wake up. He's thrashing about and crying." She turned and left with the two adults following in her wake.

The three reached the room to find Ron desperately trying to rouse his best friend to no avail. As Harry tossed and turned, he started to say things. " Born to parents who have thrice defied him…Born as the seventh month dies…Will be marked as equal…Power the dark lord knows not…" Harry continued to mumble incomprehensible phrases as the others looked on.

Finally, after Lupin shook him and conjured a glass of water, which was dumped on Harry's face, he woke up. He stared around him trying to figure out where he was and why he was there. His heart was beating fast and he felt as if all his blood was rushing to his head. Lupin spoke first. "Harry, are you alright? You were having a nightmare. Is everything okay?"

Harry was not sure that he could answer. He had just been dreaming that he was in Dumbledore's office and was hearing the prophecy being told to him. Although it was Dumbledore's office, the pictures were not of the former headmasters. Instead, they showed the scenes of his parent's deaths, the death of Cedric, Lord Voldemort's rebirth, and the death of Sirius. It had been horrible. What made it worse, was that some of the other frames had pictures of people who had been killed in connection to Harry, and they were all blaming him for their deaths – even his parents and Sirius.

Finally, Harry found his voice, "I'll be fine. As you said, it was only a nightmare. It wasn't anything planted, just a bunch of memories crammed together. Go on. I'll be up in minute or two." Everyone in the room looked unsure, but they left. After they had gone, Harry got up and, forgetting it was his birthday, got ready for just another day.

"I won't do it. Not today, not after what I just witnessed. I'll help you two to distract him, though. Maybe some chess or something…" Lupin seemed to fade into thought after that statement.

Ron was totally bewildered by what had just been said and inquired as to what would not be done. Hermione told him about what Lupin had planned on doing that day, and had just finished when Harry entered the kitchen. He had obviously been listening outside the door because the first thing he said was, "You wanted to take me to their graves? Why won't you? I…I've never been. Can we not go? Did Dumbledore say we couldn't?"

Lupin looked up at the young man. He could not believe his ears. Harry wanted to go to the cemetery. He looked into Harry's eyes. They were filled with sorrow and pain. He remembered that just a few years ago, those same eyes had shown with happiness, and now they looked haunted. He also noticed a slump in the boy's shoulders. He looked like Hermione when she was carrying a book bag filled beyond the maximum capacity point. _He has seen so much. I just don't understand how one person can go through that amount of horror and ask for so little. How can I deny him this one simple request? He takes full responsibility for everything that happens. Oftentimes more responsibility than he should. I just wonder why he wants to go so desperately._

Quite suddenly, he realized why Harry wanted to go. He had never gone there to find solace. He had been stuck at the Dursley's since the day after their murder. If he went and saw the graves, then he just might open up some. "Harry, I just figured that after that nightmare you wouldn't want to go. Dumbledore actually said that you could go. If you want to, then I can take you. A few other Order members will have to go also, but they'll stay back a ways."

"Please take me. And can Ron and Hermione go too? I'd like it if they could be there." Hermione noticed that this person, who as long as she had known him, was always the epitome of strength and assurance, now suddenly sounded weak and pleading. She hated Voldemort for the way that he had sent Harry on a path filled with unhappiness and strife. More than anything, she wanted Harry to be happy, and if the only way for that to happen was to go with him to his parent's gravesite, then nobody could keep her from going. If Lupin and Dumbledore knew what was good for them, then they would not say no to this one request from Harry.

Remus heard the pleading in Harry's voice and saw the determination on Hermione's face, and answered, "I'm sure that they can. Let me check with Dumbledore first, though. We also need to get everyone here who will be the guard. It may take an hour or so. You might as well eat some breakfast and then get ready. Oh, and by the way, Happy Birthday Harry!"

Harry looked somewhat confused for a moment as he counted the days on his fingers. Then, he gave the faintest of chuckles and grinned when he said, "Wow! It is my birthday. I completely forgot. Who would have thought that would happen? I also just realized that you're the first person that I can remember ever telling me Happy Birthday. Yes, I know I get cards and such, but that is the first time I can remember hearing the words spoke to me. Well, I'm sure that my mum and dad said it on my first, but seeing as how I can't remember back that far…"

Everyone in the room seemed shocked by this information, but then they realized that they really should not have been. The Dursleys were about as heartless as one could be toward Harry. He did not even seem perturbed by the fact that they had never even wished him a happy birthday. This did nothing to help calm Molly and Hermione, both of whom were furious with anyone who dared make Harry's life any more miserable than it should be. They both knew that Harry's "family" was nothing compared to what Voldemort had done to him, but they still added to the stress of the life of the Boy-Who-Lived. That was more than enough reason to for the Dursleys to find themselves on the hated list of the two females.

At that moment, the fireplace burst into flames and Dumbledore stepped out of the hearth. He seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood because his eye was twinkling even more than usual – if that was even possible. "Good morning everyone. Harry! Happy Birthday! I remember the day I turned sixteen. It was an incredibly rainy day, and our house was nearly blown away by a tornado. Though, it doesn't look as if that is today's forecast. There's not a cloud in the sky." At this moment, Dumbledore looked around the room. He soon found who he was looking for.

"Ah, Remus. I've just came to see if you were still planning your outing. The guard needs to get here soon, if you are."

Lupin looked at his former headmaster and answered. He also asked for Ron and Hermione's permission to go as well. Dumbledore thought for a few moments and finally said that it was fine with him if Molly did not mind her son going. Molly did not have any objections because she knew that Arthur would be there as part of the guard.

"Good. Now that that's settled, I'll be going. Though, I am sure that I will be seeing you all again very soon. Do be careful today."

He turned to the three teenagers and added, "I want you three to take your wands with you. Keep an eye out, especially you Harry. Bye now." With that, Dumbledore went to the fireplace and flooed to where ever it was he was going.

After he had had breakfast, Harry left to go get ready for the trip. Soon small pops could be heard in the kitchen and living room as the guard apparated to headquarters. They started to plan the best way of travel and everything else that needed planning for the trip while Ron, Hermione, and Mrs. Weasley went to go find some quiet. They wanted to discuss what Harry had been saying while he slept.

"I think it was about himself. I have been told that James and Lily did escape Voldemort three times in the last war. Then, of course, Harry was born 'as the seventh month dies,'" Molly said.

"Yes, but what about all that other stuff? Being marked as equal and having an unknown power. What do you think that means? What power can Harry possibly have that Voldemort doesn't? Dumbledore would have told us if it was important – or at the least you adults that are in the Order." Hermione seemed to be trying to convince herself more than anyone else that the prophecy had been about someone other than Harry. She sounded, though, as if she had failed.

Ron had a thoughtful look on his face, and after a few moments said, "Maybe it wasn't about Harry at all. Maybe it was about Dumbledore or someone else."

"No. No, I am pretty sure that it was not about Dumbledore. He is older than Voldemort remember? He taught him transfiguration fifty years ago. Not only that, but who else does Riddle fear other than Dumbledore? No one. The only one he ever feared was Dumbledore. He's convinced that Dumbledore has power that he doesn't." Hermione's reasoning had wiped the triumphant look off Ron's face that had appeared when he made his great deduction.

Mrs. Weasley listened to the girl's words, and decided that it was probably best not to worry about it. "Well, if it's important, then someone will tell us. Let's not worry about it. I have a party to prepare for, and you two are about to leave. Remember what Mad-Eye always says, 'Constant Vigilence.'"

About that time, Lupin's head appeared in the door and said that if they were ready then it was time to leave. After a round of good-byes and admonitions to be careful, the four plus the guard left for the cemetery.

* * *

**A/N: Well, here's the first chapter of a seven-chapter story. I'll update soon. Please R/R. ; )**


	2. Love Bonds and Solace

**Chapter 2: Love Bonds and Solace**

**By: stu14688**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Please don't sue.**

_"Bound by a love that exceeds even death." _Those were the words written on the tombstone. Harry knelt in front of the headstone and gently laid the flowers he had brought with him in between the two names. There were only two flowers: a white lily and a white rose. Professor Lupin had told him that his mother had an affinity for roses while James had liked lilies, for obvious reasons.

Behind him, just a little ways back stood Ron, Hermione, and Lupin. The Order guards were off other places in the cemetery keeping a lookout. Harry suddenly felt a hand come down on his shoulder and stood up beside the last of the loyal marauders. The look of sadness in Lupin's eyes was more than Harry could bear. Try as he might, he could not keep the three tears back. They fell silently to the ground. Harry felt the hand on his shoulder give a squeeze to say that he understood.

As if from nowhere, Ron and Hermione appeared on the other side of Harry, and the four of them stood in complete silence, lost in their own thoughts for about two minutes. Then, they turned to leave. For the first time in his life, Harry felt a peace in his heart where he knew that there had been nothing but grief since his parents had died. He had found solace.

* * *

By the time that the group arrived back to Number 12 Grimmauld Place, it was already one in the afternoon. Molly met them at the door and handed them some sandwiches while giving a meaningful glance to Hermione reminding her of her part in the preparations. Hermione took the hint and suggested that they eat upstairs so they would not mess the kitchen up again since Mrs. Weasley had likely just finished cleaning. Harry rolled his eyes, gave a small shake of his head, and started to ascend the stairs. Ron noticed this, leaned to Hermione, and said, "He's onto us." With an exasperated sigh, she quickly followed Harry up to other level of the house. She knew that he would figure it out.

Lupin entered the kitchen to help Molly with party preparations after deciding that it would be best to talk to Harry later. She, of course, immediately started to badger him with questions. "How'd he take it? Did the trips to and from go smoothly? Is he better?" Lupin chuckled at her concern and began to answer – at least the questions concerning Harry.

"Well, I don't think that it was easy for him, but he seems more settled. He didn't cry, really, or at least not much. We gave a him few minutes to himself so I don't know if he said anything or not. He's going to be alright – I'm pretty sure of that. Arthur can probably tell you about the trips and such, but I didn't notice anything."

Mr. Weasley took his cue and told about the trips. He confirmed that indeed nothing out of the ordinary had been spotted. Everything went "smooth as silk." Molly gave her husband a strange look when he said that because she had never heard such a phrase. "Oh, it's a muggle phrase that I learned the other day. I've been looking for an excuse to use it," Arthur explained.

Molly rolled her eyes and said, "I should have known. Now, if you two gents don't mind, can you help me get everything ready? The guests should be appearing soon." Remus and Arthur stepped forward and asked for their assignments. The kitchen was quickly ready for the party.

* * *

Upstairs, Harry was still quiet but he seemed calmer. He felt better, as if he had released some of his grief in the cemetery; even grief over Sirius. The others noticed this change too, but decided not ask him to talk about it just yet. If they did, then he might not enjoy the birthday party.

Harry's dream still weighed heavy on Ron and Hermione's minds. "What's wrong, you two? You've both been awfully quiet today." Harry was intently studying his two best friends on the floor in front of him.

Ron was the first to answer. "You said something in your sleep this morning about someone with an unknown power that has been marked as an equal to someone else. I think that this person has parents who defied someone three times. This person also must have been born at the end of July. Do you know what were you talking about?"

Hermione noticed that Harry was not saying anything, but looked deep in thought. "It's you, isn't it? You were talking about yourself. This is what has been bothering you all summer since the Department of Mysteries incident."

For the first time that summer, Harry's eyes flashed in anger. It was not unnoticed by the other occupants of the room. They knew that he was about to chew them out, but it came as a relief. They hated seeing Harry so pensive. "What happened there was not an 'incident,' Hermione. It was my stupidity. I am the reason that Sirius died and that you and the others got hurt. If I'd listened to you and learned occlumency then what happened would not have happened. If I weren't so stubborn…"

He stopped here and looked down at the floor before speaking again. Whereas before his voice had been at a low growl, it now it sounded defeated and weary. "You know what is makes it worse? Snape was right all along. I am conceited. I do have a big head. I thought that I could save Sirius, and only managed to get him killed."

He then continued, even quieter than before. "Don't worry about the stuff I said this morning. It was only a dream. Don't jump to any conclusions about it." After he finished speaking, Harry turned and looked out of the window. It was really a nice day outside, and that helped to lighten his mood a bit.

Hermione was not convinced, but she did not say anything. She knew he would be stubborn about it. He was suffering from grief, blaming himself for all the horrible things that happened last June, and was holding a secret. It hurt her to see him hurt so, but not as much as it did to know that he was refusing to let his two best friends know what was on his mind.

Ron did not believe Harry either, but he was not going to stay silent about it. "Harry, mate, we know that something is bothering you. We're your best friends. You can tell us anything. It won't scare us away, I promise. I mean, think about it, if a troll, giant spiders, a baslisk, Death Eaters, and Umbridge haven't made us leave you, then do you honestly think that whatever you're harboring inside yourself will?

Harry did not turn around when he answered. "No, I don't suppose that it would scare you away, but it certainly wouldn't make your lives any easier. Just trust me when I say that it's best that you don't know. Only Dumbledore and I know, and the less who do, the better. There'd be a smaller chance of Voldemort getting the information."

Ron and Hermione declared that they did trust Harry, but assured him that they would not mind carrying part of the load for him if he ever did want to divulge whatever was occupying his mind. Harry had simply nodded and thanked them for their friendship as he continued to study the outside world.

* * *

**A/N: Well, chapter two done. It's kinda short, but I promise that the next one is longer. It's over 3,000 words. Anyways, please R/R. I'll let you go now. ; )**


	3. Sixteen Years and Counting

**Chapter 3: Sixteen Years and Counting**

**By: stu14688**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Please don't sue.**

After a few moments, Harry turned and faced his friends. They seemed deep in thought, but this being the first birthday that he could remember being away from the Dursley's, Harry wanted it to be a happy one. He also wanted his friends to be happy.

"Hey, Ron. How about some wizard's chess? That is if you're sure that you want to be beat by the 'famous Harry Potter.' If not then, you could always tell me about the party that I know that your mum is planning." Harry gave a lop-sided grin after this statement. He had known for a few days what Mrs. Weasley was planning. He did not know the details, but he knew that there would definitely be a party.

Ron gave his best friend a look that supposed to be confusion, but it failed miserably. Harry started laughing when he saw Ron's face. "So, Potter, you think that you can beat the great Ronald Weasley at wizard's chess do you? Well, in the words of the American muggle, bring it on."

By the time that Ron had finished talking, both Harry and Hermione were rolling on the floor in tears from laughing. For one, they did not know that Ron knew English muggle phrases, much less American ones. Add that to his failed confusion look and the false contemptuous tone in his voice, and well, it was just plain hilarious. Ron soon joined in on the laughter.

After a few minutes, the trio was able to regain some composure. Ron and Harry started the chess game. Hermione looked on, and Ron actually let her try to help Harry, but it was no use. Harry just could not play chess.

The chess game was in full swing when Mrs. Weasley called them down stairs. Hermione whipped out a black strip of cloth from her pocket. "Okay, Harry. Since you already have figured out about the party, then you're going to have to wear the blindfold. Ron and I will be on either side of you to lead you."

Harry gave his two best friends a suspicious look, but let them blindfold him and lead him down the stairs. He knew that they were headed for the kitchen. Not only because of what Hermione had said when they returned from the cemetery, but also because he had walked the halls so much the past couple of weeks that he knew the way by heart. He could have done it without his friends help.

Soon wonderful smells reached the noses of the trio. Mrs. Weasley had obviously been cooking up a storm. Harry could smell roast, potatoes, puddings, treacle tart, and many of his other favorite foods. He also could tell that there was a lot of it. He wondered how many people must be at the party for such a large amount of food to be needed.

The trio came to a stop. Hermione sent Ron in to make sure that everything was ready. He left and quickly came back. With Ron on one arm and Hermione on the other, Harry was led into the kitchen.

Somebody started counting very slowly while someone else stood behind him ready to rip off the blindfold when the count was finished. "One….Two….Two and a half….Two and three quarters….and…."

"Oh, hurry up Fred. I'm starving!" Harry burst out laughing at Ron's annoyance to a delayed meal. However, Fred was not easily perturbed.

"And….Two and seven/eighths….Oh, alright Ron. Stop your whimpering. THREE!" The blindfold was instantly released from Harry's eyes. At the same time that the blindfold left, everyone in the room shouted HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Harry was speechless. There, standing before him, was many people that he knew in the Order. One person he did not see was Snape – not that that mattered to Harry any. He would have been more upset if the man had shown up. Then he turned around and found not only the twins, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, but also Neville.

Harry quickly found his voice. "Neville! It's great to see you, mate. What are you doing here? …Not that it's bad that you're here. I was just wondering, you know."

"Well, Professor Dumbledore talked my grandmother into allowing me to come today. I don't know how he did it. He asked me if I wanted to come, and I said sure. So, here I am. Happy Birthday!" Neville looked positively thrilled to be able to get away from his grandmother for a while.

"Wait a minute. Isn't your birthday sometime around today? If it is, then I am more than willing to share the party with you."

Neville gave surprised look, but answered easily enough. "Yeah. My birthday was yesterday actually. Though I've heard that you haven't had a party in about fifteen years, so you keep this one to yourself. I've had plenty." Harry wanted to argue, but figured it would not do any good. Neville looked like he would be stubborn about it. With that, the seven teens headed over to the adults.

* * *

There were too many people for them to all sit around the table, so chairs were quickly conjured to accommodate everyone. All the Weasleys – with the exception of Percy – Tonks, McGonagall, Lupin, Mundungus, Moody, Hermione, Neville, Dumbledore, and Hagrid were at the party. Harry could not keep from smiling when he saw how many people were there. It was most definitely the best birthday he could remember having. The funny thing was that it had not even started.

Everyone soon found themselves eating, talking, and laughing. The mood was so relaxed that one would not have ever thought that this same group of people was the front lines in a war against the worst dark wizard ever. No one in the room was even thinking about that – not even Harry and Dumbledore.

The twins seemed to have snuck into the kitchen undetected before the party because every now and then people would sprout feathers and molt, have huge purple tongues, or various other oddities would happen. Harry was enjoying watching the goings on until his nose started bleeding and he realized that he must have gotten a hold of a Nosebleed Nougat. Thankfully, no permanent damage was sustained from the prank foods. The twins were ready with the remedies.

Harry realized just how tired he was after the feast. He had been listening to a conversation between Ron and Hermione, thinking of how nice it would be to doze off, when Dumbledore announced that it was time to open the gifts. Harry looked over to a corner where a pile of presents had suddenly appeared. He was shocked. He could not remember getting that many gifts before. There were fifteen in all. One from each person at the party with the exception of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They had apparently been responsible for the party itself.

"You all…you didn't have to. I don't…Merlin… I haven't done anything to…Honestly. I mean…thank you. This is a shock…" Harry realized that he was stumbling around his words and thoughts more than Neville stumbled through the halls of Hogwarts and stopped rambling. The rest of the crowd had only started chuckling at the sight of Harry running his fingers through his untidy hair while speechless.

Hagrid gave Harry what he probably considered a small push and said, "They ain't gunna open themse'ves. Get over there." Harry, recovering from his near headfirst collision with the floor from Hagrid's "small push," did not need telling twice. He went and started to unwrap the gifts.

It seemed that the professors decided that he should have books. Hagrid and Dumbledore were the only ones that did not give him a book. He had received a book on anamagi from McGonagall and a defense spell book from Moody.

Lupin had given him two books. Well, actually they were journals. One was empty except for the first page. On it was a short note from Lupin. The note told him that he could use the journal to write his own thoughts and experiences down. Lupin also said that he hoped that it helped some with getting things off Harry's mind. The other book was almost full. There was an entry almost everyday. The interesting thing was that it had two kinds of handwriting. One looked like Harry's own and the other was smooth and curvy. He could tell that a female had written those entries. He was looking for a name as to whom the journal belonged to, but could not find one. Harry had been studying the journal for about thirty seconds when he saw a wand tip touch the first page of the book. Lupin said an incantation and the invisible ink there quickly became visible.

"_This is a journal kept by James and Lily Potter as a way of preserving the memories of our life together._

_Two parts of a whole_

_Brought together_

_Mind, body, and soul._

_Bound by a love that exceeds even death."_

Harry slowly closed the book. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, but he was determined not to cry. He looked at Lupin and gave his thanks in a very husky voice.

The other gifts were just as appreciated. Many contained his favorite candies. Those gifts were from Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny. He had received a pair of warm Quidditch gloves from Tonks. She knew that he often played in rough weather and the gloves would keep his hands warm and help him to grip the broom handle better. If the ban were to be lifted, then those gloves would sure be helpful. Fred and George had given separate gifts, but together the gifts made quite a sampler of the things that their joke shop carried. They must have conspired to do it that way because none of the products was duplicated within the packages. Mrs. Weasley told Harry that his present from her and Mr. Weasley was the party itself and the food. Harry told her that it was one of the best gifts he had ever received, and she pulled him into one of her hugs. Mundungus had wrapped a single bottle of butterbeer for Harry. He was also providing the butterbeer that would be served with the cake later. Harry decided he did not want to know where the butterbeer had come from. Hagrid's gift was a water repellant cloak. Harry knew that he could find use for that gift. He had never fancied trudging through the water and rain in order to get to his outdoor classes.

The last gift to be received was from Dumbledore. It was a small package that contained four sheets of parchment. One was the school list for the following year. Another was Harry's OWL results – which were quite good, by the way. The third was a note from Dumbledore telling Harry that his Quidditch ban, in fact, had been lifted and that he would find his broom upstairs on his bed. Harry let out a whoop when he read that note. Ron, who had been reading over Harry's shoulder, did the same thing as Harry and at the same time. Together they had scared half the people in the room with their unexpected shouts of joy. Anyone who did not know already, quickly found out what had caused such a reaction because Harry shouted, "Tonks, your gift won't go unused after all!"

In all the commotion, Harry had quite forgotten about the fourth piece of paper. Hermione – always the one to keep him in line – reminded him of it by reading it to him. Dumbledore had bought Harry a pensieve. He would have to pick it up at Diagon Alley when they went to buy their school supplies. It was something for which Harry was truly thankful. He had begun to understand Dumbledore's comment about having too many thoughts in his head. He was sure that having the pensive would help. Not just to relieve some pressure, but also helping him to organize those thoughts.

After the gifts had all been opened, everyone got a piece of cake and a butterbeer. Once again the room was filled with talking and laughter. Harry enjoyed it. Listening to his friends – no, his family – talk and joke with one another as if there was not a care in the world. He wished that it would stay like that forever, but he knew that it would not. Therefore, he decided that whenever these times came around, he would enjoy each and every minute of them.

Harry stood up and finally managed to get everyone's attention. He knew that he needed to thank them. "I just wanted to say that this is the best birthday that I've ever had. I owe each of you an enormous debt of gratitude. For these past few years, you all have watched out for me, welcomed me into your lives and homes, and have never asked for anything in return. To be totally honest, I'm not sure that I could ever do anything to repay you and thank you for your kindness -,"

"Well, I can think of something," Ginny interrupted. She had a look on her face that let Harry know that although she was serious, he should not take what she said the wrong way. "Try not to get yourself killed anytime soon. Goodness knows that we've had enough worrying about you to last a lifetime."

Dumbledore had been watching Harry the entire time, and noticed that his face clouded with the unexpected comment from Ginny. Though, as soon as the cloud appeared, Harry had gained control of his features. "I'll try to take that advice, Ginny." Harry said this with a laugh, but Dumbledore was sure that it was forced.

Harry continued with his speech. "Not only do I owe each person in this room a thank you, I also owe you each an apology. I've been a selfish jerk – especially last year. I thought that I knew more than anybody, I'm ashamed to say. Though, I understand now that in all actuality, I really don't know much at all." Here he gave a nervous laugh and said, "Sna- I mean Professor Snape would have loved to have heard me say that. He always has said that I have a big head…

"Anyway… I'm terribly sorry for the trouble I've caused. I should've listened more, and I plan to do just that from now on. There's far too much at stake for me to ignore those who know best." Hermione noticed that Harry seemed to drift to something else in his mind, and she had a sneaking suspicion that it included a black veil. If not that, then it was whatever he had been thinking about the past few weeks.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Harry picked up his impromptu speech again. "I don't suppose that I have much more to say. I just wanted to let you know how sorry I am for my abominable behavior as of late, and to say thank you for your unwavering kindness. In this room are the first people I can remember that showed me kindness. The first people to befriend me. And the people who have been showing me who I am and how to reach my full potential. Thank you – for everything."

The room was strangely quiet after Harry sat back down. Only Dumbledore and Harry knew what Harry had meant by some of what he said. Dumbledore looked at the messy haired sixteen year old knowing that Harry felt they needed to know some of what he felt towards them. He knew that Harry understood that until the final battle, things were going to get progressively worse. No one knew when or if they would see each other again. _That was most likely his way of saying "I love you." I wonder if he's ever heard those words himself since that Halloween night._

Mrs. Weasley had walked over to where Harry sat with his head facing the floor to hide the tears that had filled his eyes as he finished his speech. She pulled him into an enormous hug as she whispered, "Harry, you're like a seventh son to Arthur and me. You don't owe us a thing – not even an apology. The things that have happened in your life are not your fault, and most people would've become angry much quicker than you."

Here she pulled away from Harry and looked him in the eye. She saw grief, guilt, confusion, anger, and fear. Yet, she also saw gratitude and love for those around him. _So much emotion for such a young man. _She held on to his shoulders as she spoke. This time it was loud enough for everyone to hear. "Harry, everyone in this room cares for you. We want you to be happy and not worry – especially today as it's your birthday. Harry, we love you. Remember that."

Every eye in the room was watching for Harry's reaction to those words. He had looked down at the floor again. Then he said in a whisper just loud enough to be heard, "You don't have to say that if you don't mean it. I'm not saying that you don't, I just don't want anyone to feel sorry for me… I'm not trying to be rude, but do you mean it? Do you lo – love me?"

Lupin looked at the boy-man. Harry was a boy's age, but had seen enough to be considered a man. He had never realized that Harry could not remember being told those words. He could not sit quietly anymore. "Yes, Harry, we do love you. A lot. I know that you're not accustomed to hearing it, but it doesn't make it any less true. We love you and you're stuck with us because of it, so don't get any funny ideas." There were a few chuckles at Lupin's last comment.

Harry stood and politely excused himself for a few minutes. He walked into the drawing room and paced as he tried to gain control of the emotions that were threatening to consume his entire being. _I'm loved. Not just by one person either, but by a whole room full. I don't deserve that. All that I've put them through. I can't let them down. They will have a future. I'll defeat Voldemort if it kills me – which it very well could. They deserve someone much better than me to be their friend and surrogate family, and I fully intend on doing whatever I can to earn those titles._

_Okay. I think that I can face them now. I don't want to cry in front of them. They'll come looking for me. I need to get back. _With that thought, Harry took a deep breath and re-entered the kitchen. Thankfully, everyone had begun talking and laughing again. Harry quietly picked up his plate and took it to the sink, which he filled with water and began to wash the dishes that had accumulated. No one seemed to notice him – at least that was what Harry thought. Everyone had noticed his return, but it just did not click immediately what he was doing. Pretty soon it clicked with Tonks, though.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER! Just what, in the name of Merlin, do you think that you're doing? Today is your birthday, and in case you didn't notice, this is not the Dursley's house. Step away from the sink and sit down. Those dishes will be done by someone else."

Tonks' shout had caused Harry to jump about two feet into the air. When he came back down and realized what was going on, he casually picked up a hand towel and calmly dried his hands. While Tonks was still on her tirade, Harry had been twisting the towel up and when she finished he popped it right onto her leg. It was not hard, Harry knew that, but it did make her spin so fast that her previously orange hair turned lime green. What followed was a round of laughter and a small towel popping war on the part of the younger people in the group.

It was nearing six o'clock when Professor McGonagall stood to take leave. She wished Harry a final happy birthday and apparated out. Many of the other Order members would be staying until later that evening.

Neville asked Harry if he could show him the rest of the house. Therefore, with Ron and Hermione in tow, they left the kitchen. Though the house was big, there was not much to see, but they showed him anyway. Mainly Neville had just wanted to leave the adults so that he could talk to the trio. They went to the boy's room and sat down on the floor and beds. For the next two hours, the group discussed everything from school to Voldemort. It seemed that Neville did not get to see many of his friends over the summer, but he did have more freedom than Harry did.

* * *

All too soon, there was a soft rap on the door. Harry opened it to find the headmaster standing before him. "Sorry that I have to end the party, but it is time for me to accompany you home Mr. Longbottom. You know what your grandmother said, 'Eight-thirty and no later.'" Standing slowly, Neville told everyone good-bye and walked out the door.

After a few minutes, Harry remembered his gifts. "Hey. I'm going to go get my stuff from the kitchen. I'll be back in a little bit." Harry thought of all that had transpired that day as he walked to the kitchen. It had started with that awful nightmare. Then he visited his parent's graves for the first time in his life and had found a little peace. Then, he had been told that the same people he loved more than life itself loved him. Now here he was gathering up his gifts from the first birthday party he could ever remember having. It had been a long, emotion-filled day. He was tired, but happy.

* * *

**A/N: Hey everyone! I hoped that you liked this chapter; it's one of my favorites. Anyway…**

**At the beginning of this chapter, I had Ron say "Bring it on." I said that it is an American phrase. I hope that doesn't offend anyone because I really don't know if people in other countries say it. If you do, I'm sorry; please forgive me. Oh yeah! I also can't do Hagrid's accent, but I tried.**

**Well, until next time then. Oh yeah, please review! Have a good one! ; ) **


	4. The Pensieve, Truth Potion, and Legimins

**Chapter 4: The Pensive, Truth Potion, and Legimins**

**By: stu14688**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Please don't sue.**

It had been three weeks since the birthday party. The Order had been busy keeping tabs on Voldemort and his Death Eaters. It seemed that the evil wizard was lying low for a bit.

The house had undergone more cleaning. Now it was only Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley to take care of it, but they were slowly getting rid of the grime.

Harry was much happier since his birthday. He still had his moments, but they were getting fewer and farther apart. His friends noticed this and breathed a sigh of relief. He was also living up to his promise to be less difficult. Which was another good thing. What made Hermione the happiest, though, was that Harry's clockwork nightmares had lessened. He now only had them two or three times a week. When he did have them, it seemed that they were not as intense and they did not last as long. This resulted in more sleep and a happier, healthier Harry.

All was going well that August. They had gone to Diagon Alley about a week after Harry's birthday to get their school supplies. There had been nothing bad about it at all. They had not even seen Malfoy. For the first time, Ron, Ginny, Harry, and Hermione had visited Fred and George's shop. The twins had been busy. There was shelf upon shelf of products. It was a busy place. Harry was thankful that their business venture was doing well. He did not buy anything at the time because he had not used anything from his sampler. He would be trying that out when he got back to school. Everyone else bought something, though. Even Hermione had.

Once they left the shop, the group went to buy their school supplies. They had to stay together this year because of the Order guard that was with them. Eventually they finished shopping and had even been given a chance to visit some of their other favorite shops. As they were about to return to Grimmauld Place, Harry remembered his pensive and reminded Mrs. Weasley. She told him that Lupin had already picked it up and would give it to him when they returned. Satisfied that the task had been cared for, Harry reached out and touched the portkey just seconds before it activated.

* * *

Ron and Hermione had not forgotten their mission to extract Harry's secret from him. Actually, they had joined forces with Lupin because he too wanted to know what kept bothering Harry from time to time. Ron and Hermione had told their former professor that Dumbledore definitely knew what was on Harry's mind, and that maybe they could find out from him. For the remainder of the summer, Harry and Dumbledore were frequently questioned about what had transpired after the Department of Mysteries battle. Though, for all the information that they received, they may as well have interrogated the kitchen sink. 

"This calls for drastic action." Ron was sitting at the table after lunch. He and Hermione had once again failed at discovering Harry's secret. Angry at their persistence to ask him about it, Harry had left to cool down. It had been the first time that Harry had yelled the entire summer, and both Ron and Hermione knew that the time for asking him had ended. They did not want another bitter Harry on their hands for the entire year.

"Okay. So what 'drastic action' do you think this calls for? We can't go and invade his privacy." Ron knew that Hermione was right, but he also knew that they had to know what was going on inside Harry's head. He thought on it for minute and suddenly an idea came to him.

"I got it, Hermione! Snape!"

"Ron, what are you talking about? What does Snape have to do with anything?"

"We'll do what we've been doing. Just ask the question. Only this time make sure that Harry has had some truth potion before hand. Lupin can get Snape to brew the stuff. We can even give some to Dumbledore if necessary."

"RONALD WEASLEY! THAT IS THE STUPIDEST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD! WE **CANNOT **GIVE HARRY A TRUTH POTION TO GET HIM TO TELL US! JUST BECAUSE HE WOULD BE TELLING US DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT IS WILLINGLY. THEREFORE, IT IS STILL INVADING HIS PRIVACY!"

Ron was taken aback by Hermione's reaction. He figured that she would agree. He still had hope though. If Lupin agreed to the plan, then she would be overruled. He made a mental note to ask Lupin first. He did not want Hermione to influence the man's decision.

Ron did beat Hermione to talking to Lupin. He seemed hesitant at first, but after Ron told him that it would be for Harry's own good and that Sirius would have supported the venture, Lupin finally gave in.

"Let me do the planning, Ron. Getting Snape to brew the potion will be tricky. I think that I can do it, but it'll take some careful planning." This was Lupin's only request. His next statement, though, put Ron on tenterhooks.

"We need to go put the idea before Hermione. She may be a little resistant, but I think that she'll come around. I figure that she can be trying to find a way to get Harry to drink it."

"Uhh. Erm, Moony? Well, you see. Hermione's already heard the idea. Put simply, she didn't like it – at all. She seems to think that we'd be invading Harry's privacy. So, you may want to be careful how you approach her."

Lupin looked deep in thought for a moment. Finally he answered, "Well, in a way she's right, but you're right also. We need to know what is going on. That way we can better help Harry. Come on. We'll go talk to her together. Maybe she's thought of a better way."

Hermione was not only resistant, but also appalled. "You're a teacher. Well, was. Never the less, you're level-headed. I cannot believe that you support this idea. I never would've thought that you – Professor Remus J. Lupin – would have ever stood behind such a crackpot idea."

Lupin gave a mischievous grin and only replied, "Well, I am a Marauder. I may be 'level-headed,' Hermione, but I still enjoy a good prank."

If looks could kill, Lupin would have been dead. Hermione was shooting daggers at him and Ron. In her anger, she once again spouted off her opinion. "Well, I hate to be the one to inform you, Moony, but this is not a prank. It is a life. The life of my best friend to be exact. **IF **I agree to do this, then it will be for that reason. Not to get a laugh at Harry's expense."

Ron was scared senseless. He knew what this girl was capable of if given the chance. He also knew that what she just said was as close to consent as they would get. Then he remembered what Lupin had said about her having a better idea, and decided that he should run with the thought. "Well, do you have another idea? It wouldn't be bad to have a back-up plan. Harry'll be on the lookout for sneaky things from us. And Snape's never been one to do the bidding of his students or the Marauders – no matter what the reason is."

Hermione began to think. _They're right. We need to know. I guess we can try the truth potion, but Ron does have a point. We do need a plan B. If Harry's mind is still able to be broken into, then maybe he keeps the memory in his pensive. It would be safest from Voldemort in there, but then it would be accessible to anyone in the world. Maybe he does keep it in his mind. Well, with a weak mind any person skilled in Legimincy could break into his head and find the memory. The only person to do this – other than Dumbledore – would be Snape again. He does pose a problem. I suppose that he could be overcome, though. I guess I should tell these two my ideas._

Hermione looked at Lupin and Ron. They seemed to have been trying to come up with ideas also. "Alright, I thought of a couple of things. Neither one of them is guaranteed to work, but they're worth a try.

"My first idea is that maybe Harry keeps the memory in his pensive. He never managed to master occlumancy last year. Therefore, if his mind is still in danger of Voldemort's attacks, he might decide to keep it somewhere other than his mind. Remember, Ron, he said Voldemort should not know about it.

"My next idea is to use legimincy. The problem with this plan is that we are back to Snape. Other than Dumbledore, I think that he's the only one that can break into Harry's mind. At least anyone on our side. What do you two think?"

Lupin thought the plans over while Ron questioned Hermione. "Hermione, if Harry keeps the memory in the pensive, then how would breaking into his head help?"

Hermione was exasperated. She rolled her eyes and sighed before she explained it all to her rather thick best friend. Just after she finished with her explanation, Lupin spoke up. "You're right when you say that they're not guaranteed to work, but this needs to be done. You were wrong on one part, though. I'm also a legimins. I admit that I am not as skilled as Severus, but I think that I could break into Harry's mind." The two teens looked at him with confusion. He decided that he would tell them why he had learned it.

"In the first war, we marauders played some rather important roles. We went on some of the most dangerous missions, so in order to help protect ourselves and everyone else, we learned occlumency and legiminacy. Peter was the exception to our dangerous missions. He could never master the art of occlumency and was too scared to go on anything very important. The funny thing is that James was one of the best occlumens we had. He was right up next to Snape and Dumbledore. I'm surprised that Harry has such a hard time with it.

"Speaking of Harry, where is he? I haven't seen him since this morning at breakfast."

Ron had not seen him since lunch, and that was when Harry had left the room angry. Hermione, on the other hand, had gone to apologize after giving him some time to cool off. They had talked for a couple of hours about mostly homework. Then Dumbledore had came and requested that he speak with Harry alone. That had happened about every other day since Harry's arrival. Nobody knew what the two talked about, and they did not ask. Hermione told her fellow conspirators this.

Ron looked irritated. He wanted to know what was going on between the headmaster and his best friend. "What in the world could they be talking about? Harry never says and I don't suppose that Professor Dumbledore does either." Lupin just shook his head in answer to Ron's questioning glance.

Hermione was about to suggest that they begin to make plans, but was cut off by Harry entering the room. "Hey guys. I'm sorry for getting so upset earlier. I hope that you can forgive me… I just came up here to tell you that supper is ready. If you're hungry, then come and eat."

The mention of food caused any other thoughts to leave Ron's mind. He got up and followed Harry out of the door. Lupin laughed and looked at Hermione, "Well, I guess we'll have to go eat and plan later. Come on." Together they walked into the kitchen to the sounds of laughter and the smells of good cooking.

* * *

**A/N: I have been informed that using a truth potion is illegal, and now that I think about it, I do remember Snape telling Harry that. Sorry for that, but it's not going to matter in the end anyway. Well, I hope that you liked this chapter. Thank you to all who have reviewed. You are wonderful people who are much nicer to me than I am. Just a few more chapters left. Take care! ; )**


	5. Meetings With Professor Dumbledore

**Chapter 5: Meetings With Professor Dumbledore**

**By: stu14688**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. J. K. Rowling is the mastermind behind that masterpiece. Please don't sue. **

Harry went into the locked room behind Dumbledore. The professor kept the room locked so that nobody else could discover what he and Harry did every other day. It was a training room. So far, he had only come in here to learn occlumency. Dumbledore had been teaching him since neither Snape nor Harry wanted or could work with each other. Their disdain for one another was mutual and strong.

Under the tuition of the headmaster, Harry had shown to be an apt student of that particular branch of magic. He was actually now learning legilimency too. He was proving to be good at that as well. Harry had actually almost gotten past the older wizard's block in their previous session. Both Harry and Dumbledore had been pleasantly surprised by that show of progress.

Training was not the only thing that went on the locked room. Throughout the summer, Dumbledore had desperately been trying to regain the trust that he lost last June. Harry had been open at telling the older wizard that he would like to be able to trust him again, but that it would take some work for that trust to be earned. Dumbledore knew that Harry needed to feel as if someone knew better than he did, and so he began the long task of regaining what he had lost. It had taken some time, but things were beginning to work out. Both wizards were eager for the trust to resume, but both also knew that this time it would have to be earned – not blindly given.

As a result of no-one else in the Order knowing of Harry's extra training, Harry began to find himself confiding in his professor. This really helped in the area of each other's trust in one another. Dumbledore always patiently listened to Harry's ideas, problems, and uncertainties. He began to learn more about the boy that he thought that he knew so well. In reality, he thought that he had known how difficult Harry's existence was at the Dursleys, but he was sadly mistaken. Harry had been through more than even Dumbledore knew, and the headmaster began to wonder at how such a young person could actually have survived his many emotional blows. A new revelation from Harry one night left the old wizard so disconcerted that he actually had to call an early end to the meeting.

**Flashback**

_Harry was facing his headmaster. They had just had another battle for access to Harry's mind. Harry was doing quite well, but tonight something more seemed to bothering the young man._

"_Professor, can we quit for now? I want to talk to somebody, and seeing as how you're here, then I figured I might be able to talk to you."_

_Dumbledore was rather surprised by the question. Over the past month Harry had became quite open with him. He had ceased asking permission to talk about three weeks ago. He wondered what was on Harry's mind, and simply sat down in one of the squishy chintz armchairs that he had conjured for the room. He gave Harry a nod of affirmation, and watched while the boy paced and gathered his thoughts._

"_Professor, I need to ask you some things and I don't want you to be offended by them. The answers that you provide will mean all the difference to me even if they seem rather trivial to you." Harry gave his headmaster a pointed look. It was not a hateful look, just one that emphasized how much Dumbledore's words would mean. _

_Professor Dumbledore did not say anything but looked at Harry over the tips of his fingers that he had brought together – the same way he did on the day of Harry's hearing before his fifth year. Harry took this as a sign to continue._

"_I need to know – does anyone truly care for me: Harry James Potter, or do they just care about the Boy-Who-Lived? Does everyone I know regard me with pity or does someone actually care? Please tell me why my safety is so terribly important to everyone in this house. I want the honest to goodness truth, not what you think that I want or ought to hear."_

_Whatever the headmaster had been expecting, it certainly was not that. He gazed into nothingness as Harry sat across from him in the second chair. He knew that Harry struggled with whether or not the rest of the world liked him for him, but it never occurred to Dumbledore that he would do the same with his friends and surrogate family. He looked over at the young boy – no scratch that – young _man_ and sighed. _

"_Yes, Harry. We do truly care for you. Not the Boy-Who-Lived, but you, Harry James Potter. Not just me either, everyone in this house cares for you. We love you as if you were family. I know that the Arthur and Molly consider you to be their seventh son, and Remus feels the same way. Mrs. Weasley and Remus told you that on your birthday. The Weasley children, though most of them are adults, look at you as a brother – especially Ron. Ms. Granger cares deeply for you. Remember that she did not know your story either until the age of eleven. The rest of the Order sees you as a nephew or something close to it. Harry, I know that I've made mistakes concerning you, but you can be assured that I also love you. It pains me greatly to know how you've suffered so much in such a short time. _

"_Pity, Harry, is something that no one here feels for you. We all know how much you hate to be pitied, but we do care and are sorry for the lot that life has cast you. Any one of us would change the past if it were possible. We'd give you just a moment with your loved ones and a chance at a life free of Voldemort, but that's an impossible dream. A dream from the Mirror of Erised. All that we have to try to make better is the future, and that's why your safety is so desperately important. You know that, but I have a feeling that you think that's not a good enough reason. Knowing you, you most likely think that your safety is of little importance compared to everyone else. At the very least, you think that everybody should be protected as you are."_

_Harry had stood and walked over to the fireplace and was now just looking into it. His face was blank and Dumbledore knew that he was fighting many emotions and thoughts all at once. He agreed that Harry had acquired the habit of fire-gazing (even if in this case there was an absence of a fire due to the extreme summer heat) after his many talks with Sirius through use of the floo network. He had been told by many in Grimmauld Place about how Harry would just stare into empty fireplaces around the house. It had worried many of the members at first, and then Hermione had calmly explained about how Harry and Sirius had spoken via the floo network over the past couple of years and said that probably explained the "fire-gazing," as it had been called. _

_It had startled Dumbledore when Harry had spoken many minutes later. "You probably think that I'm selfish or just plain stupid to ask those kinds of questions. It's just that when you grow up with no one liking you or not really knowing that you exist and you are suddenly thrust into a completely different world where everyone knows you and claims to really care, then I suppose you just start to wonder if anyone has any interest in who you truly are. No matter which world I am in, the people who reside there already have this fixed idea of the kind of person I am and the kind of life that I lead. They either think that I'm an "incurably criminal boy," a celebrity with the perfect life, or an insane, attention-seeking brat. If it is none of these ideas of my life, then people just look at me as if I'm still that orphaned infant. Their eyes full of pity. Maybe they think that they are helping, but in reality, they're not. I don't want to be coddled and held. I want this sad excuse for a life to be over." _

_Dumbledore gave a sharp intake of breath when he heard those words. _Surely Harry wasn't thinking of…No, he couldn't be…_ The headmaster's thoughts were interrupted by an exhausted laughter. It was Harry._

"_Sorry, Professor. I didn't think of how that would sound before I said it. No, I'm not suicidal. What I meant was that I'm tired of living my life being chased by a power-hungry, murderous psychopath. I want that part of my life to end. I want Voldemort gone so that I can actually try to discover what living really is. Is it not more than breathing, sleeping, and eating?"_

_Harry sighed heavily. He looked and sounded like an old man weighted down with many years of life. He did not have the exuberance of a sixteen year old, nor did he have a sixteen year-old's view on the world and on life. Harry was an exception to every group it seemed. It was a role he had come to accept. If it was something difficult and unwanted, then the situation always seem to fall on the thin shoulders of this one young man. He would take on each new weight and shift it around until he could carry it without too much discomfort and trudged on._

_These images of his beloved student left Dumbledore struggling for control over his body's reaction to his emotions. He shook his head, stood, and walked over to the fireplace beside Harry. He tentatively lifted his hand and placed it on the right should of the raven-haired boy. "Yes, Harry, there is more than eating, sleeping, and breathing. So much more. I want more than anything for you to be able to experience it all. Come on, let's call it a night. Go get some rest and some of Mrs. Weasley's fine cooking. I'll be back the day after tomorrow and we'll practice some more."_

_Harry simply nodded and turned to leave. Just as he reached the door, he turned back and faced Dumbledore who had been watching him leave. "Professor?"_

"_Yes, Harry?"_

"_Thank you. Thank you for listening to my complaints and insecurities. But mainly, thank you for caring." With that, Harry left the room. Dumbledore went and sat back down, placed his head in his hands, and wept for the Boy-who-lived._

**Flashback ended**

Dumbledore went over to the armchairs as Harry closed the door. The professor could tell that Harry was miffed over something, and he knew that they had better talk before today's lesson.

"Harry. Something seems to be bothering you, would you like to talk before the lesson?"

"Oh. It's not a big deal, I suppose. It's just Ron and Hermione. They were asking me again about that dream that I had on my birthday. You remember which one I'm talking about. I told you about it."

Dumbledore watched as Harry tried to regain the composure that he had been so careful to keep this summer. He could not help but smile at his companion's valiant efforts – which seemed to be failing only causing more anger and frustration. Inspiration suddenly struck the headmaster. He immediately conjured a punching bag near the far wall, about fifty feather pillows, and ten muggle store mannequins. Harry gave the headmaster a quizzical look.

"Er, Professor. No offense, but I don't think that a punching bag, pillows, and mannequins are going to do much good in occlumency. I hate to break it to you, but these muggle articles don't have brains."

Dumbledore laughed outright at the last statement. At _least he is getting his sense of humor back. I know that he's been trying, but that was one of his first true jokes since June._

"Well, yes, Mr. Potter, I was aware of the brain fact. You're wrong with the first part, though. These 'muggle articles' will help with today's lesson. I'll magically seal off this room, so that any magic that goes on cannot be detected. I want you to take out your wand and use it to take out your anger on those poor mannequins and pillows. At sometime, I want you to take out more anger the muggle way with the punching bag. Whatever image…err…Dudley... you decide to give it in your mind's eye is up to you. Now, have at it."

Harry sat transfixed for a moment trying to comprehend what was going on. He finally decided that something must be up. "Okay, who are you, and what did you do with Albus Dumbledore: Headmaster of Hogwarts, Founder of the Order of the Phoenix, and all that other stuff?"

For the second time in ten minutes, the headmaster laughed. "It's me, Harry. Now, you need to let out some of that pent up anger – or else I may find myself in an area of disarray again. Go ahead and let out what you have kept locked up over the summer. I daresay that you of all people should have that right. We'll talk later."

Harry, who was still rather angry with his best friends – well Ron, Hermione had apologized – decided that it was not such a bad idea. So, he let off some steam – almost literally. He blew up every pillow only to fix them all and do it again. Then he took special aim at the oversized dolls and sent pieces of them all over the room. After the mannequins, he was exhausted and decided to leave "Dudley" for another day.

He turned and sat in the chair facing the professor who had watched the entire time, never saying a word. He knew that Harry needed to get rid of some of his anger of sixteen years. Now it was time to talk.

"Do you feel somewhat relieved now?"

"Not as much as I hope to feel after Voldemort is gone, but yes, I do feel better. I just wish that Ron and Hermione would quit asking me questions. I know that they worry, but can they not respect my decision to keep this from them. It's not as if they're the only ones out of the loop. You and I are the only people who know that prophecy in its entirety. I just want to keep them as safe as possible."

Any amusement that Dumbledore had felt quickly vanished at the sight of Harry's head hung low in thought and worry. He knew that Harry put on a strong façade to the rest of the house. He did not want to the other members of the household to think him weak, especially since they all treated him with kid's gloves anyway. Even Ron, Hermione, and Ginny seemed to make the young wizard feel like a fragile porcelain doll. This room was the only place that Harry seemed to lose the mask of strength and certainty. Dumbledore knew that Harry was strong, and did not treat Harry as a small child because of it. He also knew that was probably the only reason that Harry allowed himself to be weak and uncertain in the headmaster's presence.

At last, after many silent minutes, Dumbledore spoke. "I know that you want to keep them safe, but they do need to know about the prophecy. Maybe it's time that you let them know about it."

He could feel the tension in the room build at an alarming rate after he said this, but he had also expected that. Harry was adamant that he did not want anyone else to know, and he had some very convincing arguments as support for his position.

"You know very well what I think about telling them, professor. It would only make them more protective of me. This would entail to them ultimately putting themselves in useless danger. Not to mention how utterly horrified they'd all be at the prospect of it. Then there's always the fact that Voldemort only knows part of the prophecy and would do anything to get it and to get at me. He could kill two birds with one stone if he found out that they all knew what that orb had said. He would get them, get the prophecy, get me, and get the added pleasure of forcing me to watch as he killed them all. I'm sorry professor, but I am sticking to my decision. I can't do that to them."

After watching Harry demolish the mannequins, and seeing that the young man still held his wand, Dumbledore sighed in defeat. _Time to get on with the lesson,_ he thought. Without giving Harry warning, the professor quietly said the incantation only to find that Harry's mind was sufficiently blocked, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not get past the wall that Harry had set up. Stunned, Dumbledore ended the spell to look up and find Harry Potter grinning like an opossum. "I'm impressed Harry. How did you know that I was going to attack?"

Harry sat, looked the headmaster directly in the eye, whispered something, and suddenly Dumbledore heard Harry's voice in his mind. _"Well for one, I have been keeping the block up at all times – just in case, you know. Two, I entered your mind undetected while you were feigning resignation just now and heard you think that you would surprise me. So, I got ready."_

Dumbledore looked up in astonishment. Not only had Harry blocked him from his mind, but also he had entered Dumbledore's mind twice – once undetected and once with Dumbledore's knowledge. "Harry, how did you do that? The last time we met, you had just only come close to breaking me, and now you can do it without detection? Did you even say the incantation?"

This time Harry spoke. "Hang on. One question at a time. First off, I did that because you have been teaching me how – or did you forget?" There was a chuckle from the younger wizard when he said this.

"For your second question: I've been practicing. I've entered about everyone's mind. I don't stay long, though. I just enter and leave. I don't want to invade anyone's privacy. As a matter of fact, the other day just after the last Order meeting, I got into Professor Snape's head. I think that he may have noticed something, though. Did you know that Remus is an occlumens? Not too bad of one either. He may have noticed me too, but I'm not sure. And as far as saying the incantation, yes I do say it. Well, I suppose that whisper would be more of an appropriate description, but, nevertheless, I can't do it silently. At least not yet."

Deciding that the lesson was rather useless, Dumbledore sent Harry on his way. He told him to come back in two days, though, because it was time to start preparing for battle. Harry merely nodded, knowing what his professor meant, and headed to the door. However, when he reached the door, he turned around. "Professor?"

Dumbledore inclined his head. "Yes, Harry?"

Harry looked at him with a small grin turning the corners of his mouth up. "I just wanted to say that I trust you. I know that you'd never do anything to intentionally hurt me or anyone else for that matter. I'm sorry that quit in the first place. Can you forgive my idiocy?"

The older wizard's eyes were glistening from both tears and the customary twinkle. He gazed at the youth before him. Harry had a look of apprehension on his face now, instead of the smile. Dumbledore was once again amazed by how much Harry was able to deal with, and yet still find a reason to make himself be the one in the wrong. "Harry, there is nothing to forgive. You had every right to demand that your trust be earned. I'm sorry for my foolishness. Thank you for the second chance, Harry. I have no intentions of mucking it up this time. Now, why don't we go eat?"

Together the two wizards left the training room without another word.

* * *

**A/N: This is one of my favorite chapters in this story. I hoped that you liked it as well. There are only two chapters left after this one, and they should be out tomorrow. Take care everyone. Please R/R. ; )**


	6. The Truth and Nothing But

**The Truth and Nothing But**

**By:stu14688**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. Please don't sue. **

"But Severus, this is important. We need to know what is bothering Harry, and if he won't volunteer the information, then we have to force it out of him. I don't want a repeat of last June."

Snape looked as if he would like nothing better than to hex Remus Lupin into the next galaxy, but he settled on looking as menacing as possible (which in Remus' opinion was very menacing). "Lupin, I am **NOT** going to make or give you any kind of truth potion. If Potter wants to be the arrogant fool that he is and not ask for help, then I most certainly will not stop him. I can only hope that one day he will ask for the help that he needs rather than concoct some outrageous plan that endangers everyone. Although, that's not likely seeing as how he has not changed any in the five years that I've known him. Don't ask me again or I will be forced to use my wand."

Lupin's face was red from anger. He knew that he had to leave lest he do something that he would only regret later. "Fine then, Snivellus. I'll just make it myself. I'm sure that with that library at headquarters, I can find the directions. Oh, and by the way, if I were you, I wouldn't be so quick to insult people. You may find that my patience has waned somewhat in the past few years, and I'm still quite efficient with a wand myself. Good day."

Lupin apparated back to Grimmauld Place from outside the grounds of Hogwarts, and was all but smoking when he got there. Harry took one look at the marauder and knew that something was wrong. "Moony, you look…err…distressed. Is everything all right?"

Remus looked at Harry. "I'll be fine. Just a little wound up after a chat with _Snivellus_ , the good chap. If Prongs and Padfoot were here right now, we'd give him just what he deserves. Saying those things…how could anyone…It is times like these that I wonder why I even try to be civil to that greasy haired bat…" He continued to mutter under his breath while the trio looked on in amusement. They had never seen their former professor so utterly upset. He usually did not ever loose his cool with anyone, but obviously, Snape had pressed just an eighth of an inch too far. In Harry's mind, the potions master was lucky that he was not in the room right now. Harry decided that he better do something for fear that a door would be blown from its hinges or something. Personally, he did not like the way that Remus' wand was shaking.

"Come on, Moony. We'll get you some tea. I don't know what Snape said to you, but it's nothing to worry about. He's just being the center of irritation that he is. Don't pay him any mind." Harry moved to the stove where he started some tea.

Meanwhile at the table, Hermione and Ron was giving their professor questioning looks to which he could only shake his head. He mouthed that he would talk to them later and went to gather some cups for the tea.

When the four had their tea, Ron decided to venture into unmarked territory. "So, Harry, are you and Dumbledore going to get together again tonight?" Harry nodded in answer.

_Well, that's not exactly what I was wanting. I guess I'll have to ask outright,_ thought Ron.

"What do you two do in there anyway?" Hermione glared at him from across the table and Remus got slightly choked on his tea. They could not believe that Ron had just asked that.

Harry looked at his friend and sighed. He stayed quiet for another minute or so trying to decide what he should say. Finally he chose a safe, one word answer, "Occlumency."

Ron did not look convinced. "Occlumency? That's it? Every other day for the entire summer, you've been practicing occlumency? Come off it Harry. Tell us the truth."

Harry thought for another moment more, then he looked Ron in the eye. This time he tried it without saying the incantation, and soon found himself inside Ron's head. _"Alright, Ron. The truth is that I've also been learning legilimency too."_ He left Ron's mind as quickly as he had entered it.

Ron had jumped up off the chair at hearing Harry's voice in his head. "You…you…ho-how did you do that? I…I her-heard you in my…my head."

Harry looked at his friend and calmly replied, "Yes you did. That's because I entered your brain and thought to you. Now, you know the truth. Professor Dumbledore'll be here soon. I need to go. Talk to you all later." He got up and left three very dumbfounded people in the kitchen.

Hermione was the first to speak. "Great, just great! Now how are we supposed to find out what's going on in that head of his? Not only has he plainly accomplished occlumency, but also he's learning legilimency. What with Snape – the bat – not giving us some truth serum, we'll not ever get it out of him."

Ron was still in a stupor over what had just transpired in his head with Harry, and could not even think straight let alone talk. Remus' mind seemed to be working quite well, though. "After Severus refused to give me some potion today, I told him that I could make it myself. I'm sure that we can find the directions in one of those old books in the library upstairs. I could - "

He was cut off by Hermione. "Moony, it takes over a month to brew. Do you honesty want to wait that long? For all we know, we don't even have that long. Besides, how do you suppose that we give it to him with the potion here and him at Hogwarts?" She gave him an expectant look. Remus knew that she was right. They didn't have a month, and it would be hard to give it to Harry while he was at school.

"Okay. Well, do you have any other suggestions? Because other than beating it out of him, I just don't see another way."

Both Remus and Hermione were quiet for a moment, lost in thought. Funnily enough, it was Ron who spoke up first, though his idea was not any good.

"Wait. You two are forgetting about Harry's pensieve. Remember, Hermione, you said that he might keep it in there."

"Ron, honestly. I know that you may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but I think that you outdid yourself on that one. If Harry is able to protect his mind, then whatever it is that is bothering him would be safer there than in the pensieve. Anyone can take it out of the basin, but not just anybody can break into his head – especially now." She slumped back into her chair and idly stirred her tea.

Mrs. Weasley bustled into the kitchen about fifteen minutes later to cook supper and found the three still sitting there lost in thought. They looked up when she entered. Suddenly Remus was struck with an idea. "Molly, do you know who all will be eating here tonight?"

She thought for a moment and counted on her fingers as she silently worked her way down the list. "I believe that there'll be us four, Arthur, Fred, George, Ginny, Harry, Albus, and Tonks. Yes, I'm pretty sure that's everyone. Why do you ask?"

"You know how something's been on Harry's mind, and how he won't tell anyone?" She nodded.

"Well, we – that is to say Hermione, Ron, and I – have been trying to get him to tell us. He hasn't so far, but we did find out that Albus definitely knows. Furthermore, Harry has mastered both occlumency and legilimency over the holidays. What I was thinking was that if we all got together and questioned both of them tonight, then we just might break their resolve. It'd be nine voices against two. I think that we could bug them enough to get one of them to break."

Molly walked up to Remus and put her hand on his forehead. "Do you have fever with those spells or is it just near the full moon? Really, Remus. We're talking about Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore. If there are two people in this world who will not break a vow of silence, it would be those two. You know that as well as I do. We all want to know what is bothering Harry, but if he doesn't want to tell us, then he simply won't."

Hermione looked skeptical at Molly's words. "I don't know, Mrs. Weasley. He may break easier than you think. I say that we try it. The worst that can happen is that they'll get mad and not tell us. That's not too far from where we are now."

Ron did not know exactly what to say, so he said nothing. Molly looked at the two determined faces that were staring her down and finally relented. It was settled. When everyone arrived, they would tell them the plan. It just had to work.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you wonderful reviewers! You are wonderful. A special thanks to _xHeRmIoNexMaLfOyxZaBiNix_ and _Crystallized Lilies_. You are a very diligent reviewers, and I promise to check out some of your stories after I finish updating this one. Speaking of which, there is only one more chapter left. Will the rest of the group ever learn of the prophecy or will they forever be at a loss. (Well, they can't forever be at a loss because at some point in time the Final Battle will occur.) Anyways...Please R/R. I hope this chapter was somewhat satisfactory. Until next time... ; )**


	7. Tete a tete

**Harry's Secret**

**Chapter 7: Tête-à-tête**

**By: stu14688 **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter; J. K. Rowling does. Please don't sue. **

Everyone other than Harry and Dumbledore had arrived for supper. This was normal. How they could practice so long on Occlumency was a mystery to everyone. Remus, Hermione, and Ron had told everyone about Harry's new skills as soon as they had arrived. Ron had the main part and really enjoyed telling about the "conversation" that he and his best friend had had inside his mind.

All the people present had agreed to try to bug the information out of either Harry or Dumbledore. It seemed like the only thing left to do. So, they sat waiting. They waited for nearly an hour before Harry and Dumbledore idly walked in. Ron, who by that time had told everyone his story and was getting hungry, spoke first. "Well, it is about time. You two could nearly starve a person."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with mirth over Ron and his bottomless pit of a stomach. Harry, however, had a calculating look on his face. "You all have never waited before. Is something special going on, or just something _sneaky _?" He emphasized sneaky knowing that something was up.

Arthur saved the day. "No. No. Nothing sneaky or special, we just felt that since school would be starting in a few days, that we'd wait for you two and eat together. You know – Carpe diem!" Harry still looked somewhat suspicious, but accepted the answer without question.

The group ate in silence for about ten minutes before Fred initiated the questioning. He was rather blunt at that. "Hey, Harry. Is there anything that you aren't telling us? Something on your mind?" Harry shook his head and continued with his eating.

Molly made a grumbling noise at her end of the table and Harry looked up at her. "Harry, I know that there's been something on your mind. I've watched as you stare into empty fireplaces. You hardly eat and hardly sleep. Your shoulders slump more than almost anyone else's at this table. What are you not telling us?"

Harry could feel his anger rising, but he remained calm. "It's nothing that I can't handle Mrs. Weasley, but thank you for your concern."

The next time, the question was directed at Dumbledore. He too refused to tell. What had started as calm and simple was quickly getting out of hand. Everyone started to speak at once trying to give their reasons for thinking they ought to know.

Dumbledore and Hermione noticed it first because they were sitting on either side of Harry. Anger and frustration was pouring off him in waves. The power of the magic that was starting to come off Harry scared Hermione so much that she immediately fell silent. Harry was trying his best to keep his emotions under control, but there was too many. Dumbledore had put the magical seal on the room so that anything Harry inadvertently did, would not be noticed by the ministry. He knew that Harry had reached his breaking point.

No one else noticed anything until the candles in the room burst with twice as much light as before. Then they noticed a strange wind coming from somewhere. The silverware – which thankfully did not include knives – on the table began to quiver. By then everyone had went totally silent. Harry had his eyes screwed shut and his fists clenched in an effort to quell his overpowering frustration. Everyone was watching the sixteen-year-old young man before them. They knew that they had gone too far. Suddenly, Harry's voice filled the room even though his mouth was not moving.

_**You want to know what is bothering me? You think that I'll tell you and it'll all become better? I've told each of you that it's for the best that you do not know, and yet you still continue to press matters! I KNOW that I'm not that old. I KNOW that you only want me to be happy. Furthermore, I also KNOW what that prophecy said. You want to know what is bothering me. That's what stays on my mind 24/7. That prophecy is my life. Now you know. Drop the subject!**_

Harry suddenly disappeared into thin air. The candles went back to normal, the breeze stopped, and the silverware stopped quivering. Nobody moved or said a word. Power like that from anyone was scary, but from a sixteen-year-old it was absolutely terrifying. Only Dumbledore seemed to be still in contact with his wits. "I do believe that Mr. Potter made it clear that he would rather not speak about what the prophecy said. I expect that each of you will respect his wishes from now on. If that scared you, then let it be known that he was holding back with all he had. I will go talk to him. Goodnight to you all. Molly, dinner was delicious as always."

* * *

It took a few more minutes before anyone was able to put sensible words together and form coherent sentences. Finally, Remus was able to speak. "Well, that didn't go exactly as planned." This earned a few shaky grins and nervous chuckles.

Tonks shook her head and willed her hair back to the vivid purple that it had been before Harry scared her so bad that it changed to a natural shade of dish-water blond. "Can someone tell me again why we need to guard his every move? I do believe that if Voldemort ever met Harry in that state, he just might decide that Albus is not the one to be feared. Just think of what he could do if he ever learned to harness that." She shuddered as she thought of the possibilities.

The twins, Ginny, and Ron were still pale from seeing their friend of five years putting off that much magical power. Ron looked at Hermione and asked in a shaky voice, "Was that the same skinny kid that we met on the train five years ago?"

Hermione gave her friend a sad look before turning her gaze to the door. "It's the same person in body, Ron. I'm afraid, however, that the Harry we met that day is long gone – never to return. The Harry we met was thankfully ignorant to the harsh realities of his life now. That Harry died slowly for five years, and finally passed on with Sirius and the revelation of the prophecy. What's left is this Harry. He's still honest, loyal, kind to a fault, courageous, self-sacrificing, but he's also destined – destined to face Voldemort."

The group around the table looked at her as if she were a stranger. "What makes you think that, Hermione?" The question was from Ginny. She was still pale. Everyone was holding his or her breath waiting for the answer.

Hermione sighed deeply as tears began to fill her eyes. "I think that we all have known this for sometime now. It only makes sense. The clues that Harry has dropped when he wasn't thinking straight – or just dreaming – combined with the knowledge that we already had all points to that conclusion. Why else would the Potters have had to go into hiding so soon after Harry's birth? Why would Voldemort be so bent on killing Harry? Why would Dumbledore protect him the way he does? In our first year, right after Harry was released from the hospital wing after his fight with Quirrel, he said that he thought that Dumbledore was giving us just enough clues to discover who was after the stone. He said it was as if Dumbledore felt he should have a chance to fight Voldemort tête-à-tête. Why would Dumbledore let an eleven-year-old child do that? Year after year, Harry has had a confrontation with some form of Voldemort. The only exception was our third year.

"After seeing his power tonight, I realized that if he ever learned to harness it – like you said, Tonks – then I think that he would be the only person with a hope of killing Voldemort. It's just too obvious."

Remus looked at the young witch and remembered something else she had said. "Earlier, what did you mean 'destined' Hermione? You make it sound like he's the only one who can face Voldemort."

She looked up with a tear trickling down her face. The people around the table again waited for her to spill forth her knowledge. _They are refusing to see what is in plain sight._ She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by a voice that she knew so well. Harry had come back in the room.

"What Hermione means is exactly what she said, and…" here Harry's gaze fell to the floor and his shoulders slumped in defeat. "And she's exactly right. ' _…And either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives…_' " He fell silent, as was everyone else in the kitchen. Some seemed to want to hope against hope that it was not true. Surely, a sixteen-year-old wizard would not have to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair.

Ron was shocked, but he was able to ask, "You'll win, though. Won't you? You'll take him out?"

Without looking up from the floor, Harry replied, "There are no guarantees, Ron, apart from this one: I'll do everything in my power to give him what he fears the most – death. He can kill me if he wants to, but I have every intention of taking him with me. His time for terror is over."

Hermione was crying openly now. She hated to think of Harry dying. Before she knew what was going on, someone had her wrapped up in his arms, rocking her as she let the tears fall on the unknown person's shoulder. She clung tightly to the person as if they were her last connection with the world.

She heard the sounds of the others speaking quietly about what they had just discovered when the person holding her spoke to her in the gentlest way she had ever heard. "Shh. It's okay. Let it all out. I'm still here and I'm not leaving. Shh." Harry continued to rock her and rub her back as her sobs quieted. He was still whispering soothing words to her. She had quit crying, and her breathing was going back to normal. Harry pulled away just enough so that he could look at her face. He gently wiped a couple of stray tears and grinned the lop-sided grin that let her know he was doing fine.

"Don't cry, Hermione. I'm still here. I know that someday I'll have to face that monster, but that day's not today. Remember what Mr. Weasley said before supper? 'Carpe diem!' Let's do that, okay? We can cry when the time comes to cry, but until then let's laugh and enjoy every minute of everyday. Does that sound good?"

Hermione nodded and gave Harry a shaky grin. He gave her one last hug and turned back to the other people at the table. "I need to apologize – again. I shouldn't have lost my temper earlier. I know that's the understatement of the century, but I truly am sorry. I did not mean to frighten you, but I know I did because I scared myself. Can you forgive me – again?"

The group quickly started in on how he was not the one who should be asking forgiveness. Although, if he insisted, then yes, he was forgiven. The rest of the night, no one spoke a word about the prophecy, except Dumbledore. He told them that they were expressly forbidden to utter a word of it to another person. Everyone nodded in agreement, and continued in their normal manner.

Hermione thought about how much she had discovered in the past summer. She realized just how difficult things must have been for Harry. She was proud of him, though. He had conquered many things in the past two months, and now he was really looking content. She smiled. _Things may be difficult, but they'll always work out. "Seize the day!"

* * *

**A/N: Well, that's it folks. I hope that you enjoyed it. I just had to add a bit of my favorite ship there at the end (sorry if that offends anybody). Thank you for reading and reviewing the story. You wonderful people. Youcancertainly make an author's day.I'll see ya next time. (If you haven't then you could read my other stories.) Anyways…Have a good day! Take care! ; ) **_


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